“The passing of this bill is a huge victory, it is the strongest message from the Government of Kenya on the commitment to preserve our national heritage. MPs today voted for Kenya to restore her position as a global leader in wildlife conservation,” said Paula Kahumbu, the Executive Director of Kenya-based NGO, WildlifeDirect.

However, Cachu Ganya, made a statement to fellow legislators, “Kenya’s elephants declined from 160,000 in 1960s to 16,000 in 1989 due to poaching. Today Kenya is home to only 38,500 elephants and 1,025 rhinos. These animals are a major tourism attraction and anyone who threatens them is committing economic sabotage and should be treated as such.” This obvious monetary value placed on the animals is one motivator for the increased fines and jail time. Regardless, it is a celebratory event for conservationists. Ganya advocated for fines to raise to $120,000 and up to 15 years in jail, a respective raise by 25 and 7 to the current law.

Photo by Brent Stirton – “Dehorned to deter poachers, a tame northern white rhino, one of only seven of the subspecies known to survive, grazes under the watch of rangers from Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy.”